Why is Messi called the GOAT?

Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. Often considered the best player in the world and regarded by many as the greatest of all time, Messi has won a record six Ballon d'Or awards and a joint-record six European Golden Shoes. He has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he has won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League titles and six Copas del Rey. A prolific goalscorer, Messi is the only football player in history to have scored over 700 senior career goals.

Born and raised in central Argentina, Messi was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency as a child. At age 13, he relocated to Spain to join Barcelona, who agreed to pay for his medical treatment. After a fast progression through Barcelona's youth academy, Messi made his competitive debut aged 17 in October 2004. Despite being injury-prone during his early career, he established himself as an integral player for the club within the next three years, finishing 2007 as a finalist for both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award, a feat he repeated the following year. His first uninterrupted campaign came in the 2008–09 season, during which he helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football. At 22 years old, Messi won the 2009 Ballon d'Or and the 2009 FIFA World Player of the Year award by record voting margins. Three successful seasons followed, with Messi winning three consecutive FIFA Ballons d'Or, including an unprecedented fourth. During the 2011–12 season, he set the La Liga and European records for most goals scored in a single season, while establishing himself as Barcelona's all-time top scorer in official competitions with his 233rd goal. The following two seasons, Messi won his fourth and fifth Ballons d'Or, becoming the first player to win five Ballons d'Or. In 2015, Messi became the all-time top scorer in La Liga, the Copa América, and the Club World Cup, and he also reached the final of the 2015 UEFA Champions League, which Barcelona lost to Juventus. The following year, he helped Barcelona win the Copa del Rey, their second treble in his career. After a period of retirement speculation, Messi confirmed his desire to remain with Barcelona, and signed a new four-year contract with the club in 2017. His continued individual and collective success saw him set new records for both goals scored and won awards. In 2020, he won a record-tying sixth Ballon d'Or and was awarded the inaugural The Best FIFA Men's Player award. Messi is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time. He has frequently been described as the best player in the world and rated by many in the sport as the greatest ever. Messi has won a record six Ballon d'Or awards, the most for a European player, and a joint-record six European Golden Shoes. He has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, where he has won a club-record 34 trophies, including ten La Liga titles, six Copas del Rey, four UEFA Champions League titles, and the FIFA Club World Cup. A prolific goalscorer, Messi holds the records for most goals scored in La Liga (462), a La Liga and European league season (50), most hat-tricks in La Liga (36) and the UEFA Champions League (8), and most assists in La Liga (273) and the Copa América (12). He has scored over 700 senior career goals for club and country. Messi's style of play as a diminutive, left-footed dribbler drew comparisons with compatriot Diego Maradona, who declared the teenager his successor. His pace, skill on the ball, finishing, and ability to create space for himself and others made him a valuable player for his team, and he soon became an integral part of the Barcelona line-up. Messi went on to achieve global recognition, winning his first Ballon d'Or at age 22 in 2009, and would go on to win the award a record five more times. He also won the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2009, and is the only football player in history to win both awards three times each. Messi is the all-time top scorer in Barcelona's history, and has also set the club's all-time records for most goals scored in La Liga, most hat-tricks in La Liga, and most assists in La Liga. He has also scored the most goals in a single La Liga season, a La Liga and European league season, and a calendar year. Messi has won 31 senior trophies with Barcelona, including ten La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League titles, and six Copas del Rey. He has also represented Argentina at senior level in five major tournaments: the 2006 FIFA World Cup, three Copas América, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup, where he won a runners-up medal. He has also won six Ballon d'Ors, the most for a European player, and a joint-record six European Golden Shoes. Messi has scored over 700 senior career goals for club and country.